Russia reportedly has 40,000 Syrian fighters lined up to go to Ukraine

A poster in Syria showing Bashar al-Assad and Vladimir Putin.
(Image credit: Louai Beshara/AFP via Getty Images)

More than 40,000 Syrians have signed up to fight for Russia in Ukraine, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Monday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are allies, with Putin supporting Assad throughout the Syrian civil war with military assistance. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the fighters are enlisting in Damascus and Aleppo, and have been told they will receive "a salary and benefits." About 400 are being trained right now in Russia near the border with Ukraine.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.